Cassiobury Park + KGVPF - 28.8.14

9 Mistle Thrush were on the football pitches with Starlings and a juv Pied Wagtail. Over at KGVPF 2 Chiffchaff were calling and singing and 2 Swift flew over.

Cassiobury Park - 21.8.14

6 Herring Gull flew over the park (4 adult and 2 begging juvs)

New Back Garden - 15.8.14

Our new house in Hemel Hempstead has a nice garden to enjoy and once moved in I sat out on the patio with a cup of tea and started off my new garden list. A couple of surprises with Jay and both Green and Great-Spotted Woodpecker were had but then I heard a bird call as it flew overhead and was amazed to ID it as a Tree Pipit! It was only my 6th in Herts but my 4th self found.

End Of An Era - 12.7.14

Today was the last day living in the flat in Chipperfield. In the 2 and a bit years I lived there I had seen such highlights as 10 Raven, 70 Golden Plover and of course the county tick of a Gannet! Also with the lights in the communal area being on all night I added nearly 90 species of Moth!

Chipperfield - 6.8.14

2 Swift flew over the flat mid evening.

Watford - 1.8.14

Whilst working in Vicarage Road cemetery a Chiffchaff started calling.

Chipperfield - 17.7.14

After a nice pub meal for my brothers birthday we left the pub and while chatting in the car park a Woodcock flew over squeaking and croaking as it went.

Great Knot - 15.7.14

 

Great Knot

 

A few years ago I was on holiday up at my dads old caravan when just as I was sitting down to dinner the mega alert went off telling me about a Great Knot just down the road at Breydon Water. On arrival the bird was in the middle of the estuary and couldn't even be identified to any species! Roll forward a few years and news broke late in the evening of a Great Knot at Breydon Water! News the next morning was positive and so off I went arriving around 2.5 hours later. Learning from my last twitch there for the Broad-Billed Sandpiper I headed straight for the rugby club car park on the south wall. I wandered up and joined 2 other birders. While waiting for the tide to drop I noted 7 Little Egret, a nice summer plumage Mediterranean Gull and 4 Spotted Redshank which were a nice year tick. Eventually the tide dropped and the waders left their roost and flew out onto the mud. The birders on the north bank then suddenly started moving and were obviously looking at the bird. After a nervous wait I suddenly picked up the bird and GREAT KNOT was onto my list. I got the now 9 others onto it and everyone was suddenly very happy!

Hilfield Reservoir - 13.7.14

A rare visit to the patch didn't produce a year tick for the first time this year. Highlights were 5 Blackcap and a Reed Warbler.

Osprey - 10.7.14

On the way to work this morning I was nearing the end of Langley Hill when I saw a large raptor in the distance circling over the same spot. I quickly drove out of Kings Langley and pulled over. I grabbed the bins from the boot and got onto the bird and was pleased to see it was what I had expected a lovely Osprey. It circled a few more times before dropping out of view behind some trees. It had gone down in the area of a small trout lake so presumably was fishing. I waited to see if it reappeared but it didn't and so off I headed to work.